Whole Foods is a convenient source for Paleo and Primal diet essentials. Right before Labor Day weekend, my local store ran a sale on “grass-fed” ground beef. I love steak, but good ground beef is exceptionally versatile—nutritious and delicious despite its blue-collar image. After seeing reports on Twitter that some stores were running low, I hurried over and scored the maximum limit of ten pounds.
The beef at that location came from a farm in Skillman, New Jersey called Simply Grazin’. I’ve become cautious about the term “grass-fed,” so I checked their information. As their name implies, these cattle are raised organically and finished on grass. Grass-finished animals are typically treated more humanely and eat a natural diet, which also improves the nutritional profile of their meat and milk. Compared with conventional meat, grass-fed beef is higher in omega-3 fatty acids and lower in omega-6, which helps improve the often unbalanced omega-3:omega-6 ratio in the Standard American Diet. For me, paying a bit more for grass-fed meat is worthwhile for both animal welfare and nutrition.
While I was in the store I couldn’t resist photographing the beef—yes, I actually brought my camera. My husband and boys were mildly embarrassed, but I snapped a shot anyway.
Another reason I visit Whole Foods is their consistent selection of coconut products. While some items can be found elsewhere, Whole Foods reliably stocks high-quality options like virgin coconut oil, creamed coconut, coconut flour, and shredded or flaked coconut. On this trip they were out of my preferred coconut flakes, so I bought shredded coconut instead. The store also offers reduced-fat shredded and flaked coconut, but since I value the fat in coconut for both taste and satiety, I stick with the full-fat varieties.
Other staples I pick up at Whole Foods include organic, cage-free eggs, omega-3 fish oil, chicken and beef stock, unfiltered extra-virgin olive oil, and Celtic sea salt. These pantry items are reliable and fit well with a Paleo-style approach.
My two young boys still consume some dairy, and my husband and I sometimes have heavy cream in our coffee, so when I shop at Whole Foods I look for pastured dairy products. That day I picked up Fage full-fat yogurt, which has a higher protein content than many mainstream yogurts, along with drinkable yogurt made from grass-fed cows and pastured whole milk and half-and-half. Heavy cream would have been my first choice, but it was sold out. My dairy strategy is simple: when we do consume dairy, I prefer full-fat, organic options from grass-fed animals, and even then I keep consumption limited to small amounts like cream in coffee or the occasional cheese.
The produce section at Whole Foods is especially appealing—beautiful, varied, and often organic. While I can’t shop exclusively at Whole Foods on a tight budget, I try to take advantage of sales and prioritize buying items there that are harder to find elsewhere or worth the extra cost for quality.
In the next few days I’ll share the meatloaf recipe I made with some of that grass-fed ground beef. Meanwhile, what are your must-buy items at Whole Foods? What do you love about shopping there?